The OTP | Week 3 Recap with Coach Callahan

The OTP | Week 3 Recap with Coach Callahan

[Music] I’m Taylor Zarzer and this is the OTP. Brian Callahan. Coach, I know it didn’t go the way you wanted to, but you’re developing a roster and there are some good things that happen over the course of the football game. Ultimately, you want wins. Yeah, I’m I’m very pleased with some of the play from our young players. Uh the Cam included. Um, I thought I think Ell and Chim have have really started their seasons out really well for I mean for what they’ve done in three games as rookies is pretty tremendous. Um, Tony Pard’s playing his tail off for us. He’s given us everything he has. You know, defensively I think Jeff has been everything you could ever hope for in terms of just the disruption and the play. He’s he’s played at a level that um I think exceeds last year and he just doesn’t quite get the recognition because we we don’t have the wins to show for it. Um, but there’s there’s some good things going on and and we got to keep refining it and doing better. We’re not there yet. Um, some of the things that we got to get corrected, got to get corrected quickly and we got to play that way for four quarters to put ourselves in position to win. We’ve played um some good football teams, but everybody’s good in this league and and we haven’t played well enough um over the course of the entirety of the game with enough consistency to to win. And I believe we’re capable of it. Um, and and we got to do everything we can to focus on getting one this week. I think it’s obvious that Cam Ward has a lot of potential and he’s shown it so far. Chim DK as a specialist and on offense, Ellio Manor as a wide receiver. You just referenced some of those young players when they get that many reps, coach, in the first three weeks of the season, how much better do they get because of those reps as the season continues? Yeah, that’s the um that’s the mantra, you know, that’s that’s the draft and develop mindset that we have here where we have to, you know, we have to allow these guys to play and and they’re going to they’re rookies. They’re going to make mistakes and and we have to live with it. I think you got to add Gunnar Helm in that conversation, too, with just the performances he’s had through through the first three games for a young tight end. It’s hard to play tight end in this league and he’s really done a nice job coming in and contributing. So that’s how you have to do it if you want if you really want to develop players. They have to play and especially the your young players, they got to find roles and they have to um perform and then they have to fail and then they have to grow and that’s the only way that it happens. Um very rarely are you just ready and you you know he’ll be ready in a year. That’s not really how it works. You know they they got to go in there and perform and get critiqued and get graded and and and know where they failed and continue to get better. and those guys have done an excellent job and and they’re all they have the right mindset for it. I know you’ll appreciate this analogy because it is writer cup week. Um it on the golf course when I make a mistake I have a hard time forgetting about that mistake and it typically leads to another one. The thing that always has impressed me most about Cam Ward, watching him at Washington State and then watching him at Miami, is that guy took some shots and not all it didn’t always go well, but when he made a bogey, he would come back and birdie the next hole. How did he handle the pick six with you yesterday? Was the same thing as what he’s done in the past? Yeah, exactly like you would think. You know, it was I mean, shoot, it was the third play of the game. um a lot of football left at that moment. But yeah, he’s I think he’s his perspective on mistakes is fantastic and he doesn’t ever change his demeanor. Uh he doesn’t um get too high or too low. He understands that one play is one play and you got to get ready to go play the next one. Whatever whatever the result of the play is, he’s got a great demeanor and perspective under under duress. And I think that that’s what helps him bounce back quickly. And you have to be able to do that in the NFL. You’re going to have bad stretches. You’re going to have bad plays. is you’re going to throw interceptions as a quarterback. That’s just the way the the game gets played. Um but his ability to to bounce back and not be rattled by it, uh is exactly how you have to be. There’s almost a a corner mindset to that where, you know, corners get beat in this league. They they give up touchdowns and so you just got to get line up and do it again. And that’s the way he looks at it. Yeah. And from afar, it looks like he’s really coachable. Like he wants your input. just watching him on the plane with you a couple weeks ago after the Denver game and watching him on the sidelines, he’s ready to hear what you have to say about how he can get better. He wants to be coached and he loves being coached and I think that’s an important part of of for young players in particular is being open to doing things that you don’t you know you don’t know enough about yet and he’s learning very quickly. Um, but he’s very much open to coaching and to critique and to trying to get better so he can be the best version of himself on Sundays. And um, he’s done a really good job thus far. When you bring Helman’s creamy buffalo chicken dip to the watch party, you can cheer too loud or block the TV or be a couch coach and no one will eject you from the game. That’s a hail mayo. Helman’s, the official mayo of the Tennessee Titans. This summer, SeatGeek has your ticket to the best live concerts in Nashville at Nissan Stadium. 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And so we come in in the mornings and uh we have a team meeting where I address the team and and where things, you know, from my perspective and then everybody goes offense and defense and special teams and they all watch the tape together and uh correct the mistakes, highlight the things that need to be better, still talk about the things that that are good and and are going well. Um, but you have to be critical and uh I think the best thing to that I’ve ever been told is is everyone owns a mirror, right? You know, everyone everyone has the ability to look at themselves first and see where they can personally do a job better and then have some humility to it and understand that uh we’re all trying to do the same thing which is put ourselves in position to win a game. And um that’s the process and and again the same process applies for when you win and you do it the same way. I think there’s consistency in how you approach it. Um, unfortunately we’ve lost enough games now where that’s not, you know, it’s been a lot of that critique, but even when you win, you you do it the same way and because even even in wins, there’s plenty of things that need to be corrected that because you won maybe don’t get highlighted in the same manner. Um, and so you just you try to correct those things still. Like give us an example of when you were coaching a certain quarterback named Payton Manning and you’re going on to win a Super Bowl. It’s the same thing like you are he’s being critical of himself. You’re calling out what needs to be improved even as you’re the best team in the NFL. Exactly right. And that’s how the process should go. If you’re if you’re winning games and and glossing over it and patting each other on the back, you’re not doing your job. Uh you’re not doing your job as a coach or a player. Um because we’re all striving for for the same thing, which is to to play as good as we can possibly play. And if you don’t look critically at your performance in a win or a loss, and if you if you look very critically on a performance in a loss, but then you don’t look at it the same way when you win, uh you’re doing yourself a disservice and that ultimately will catch up with you at some point. Um because again, there’s just as many things in a win that come up that you have to address that do and a loss. They just feel different because you won. But usually the margin of error in this league is so small that it’s only a couple of things that are the difference between a win and a loss. and and you still have to hammer those things with the same uh intent to get better and that’s the way the good teams do it. Okay. And so after you go through that process, when do you address the entire team about the Houston Texans andor the next opponent? Usually by Wednesday morning. You know, we we get to we get to get through today. We put all of our our energy and effort into putting this game to bed and making sure that we’ve, you know, crossed our crossed our tees and dotted our eyes and and everything is is buttoned up from the game and where we need to go forward. And uh then the players, they’re out of the building. And then this afternoon is when we start as a staff on Houston. Uh and then we go all day tomorrow on Houston. So then by the time Wednesday rolls around when they come back in the building, the plan is in place. Uh and then you present that plan Wednesday morning and you start talking about how we’re going to win the game and what we need to do. Uh because every week is new and every week is different and every time that you go into a game planning process, it’s going to require something different because they have different strengths and different schemes and then you play each week. Every week is a different week and it allows us to to make sure that that plan is very clearly communicated to the players on Wednesday and and we go about practicing that plan for the next handful of days and you know base downs is usually on Wednesday and then you get into the third down and pressure pickups and pressure packages on Thursday and then you get to the red zone on Friday and some of your special special situations and and you’re good to go. It feels like Thursday is a pretty tough day here in your and with with the plan that you use. Is that standard across the league or is it kind of just depend on each situation? I think it depends. Um, one of the things that that I’ve always believed in through the years is that Wednesday guys are still coming off the game. You know, they’re still pretty sore. They’re still feeling it. U, so you try to be a a little bit higher mental stress on Wednesday, a little bit less physical stress. Um, and then Thursday is is a work day. we can put the pads on as long as we’re allowed to and you get after it and that’s that’s your third down pressures. That’s your protection day. That’s you need that padded work and the pass protection. Then you still get some base run and all that stuff that you need on both sides. So that’s just how we’ve done it. Sort of a a ramp in big day Thursday, fast feelood Friday where you’re kind of on the field quick and out. And um I’ve generally found that to be the the most productive. We’re going inside for quite a while. um playing the Houston Texans this week, site of where you beat the Houston Texans last year and then you play the Arizona Cardinals inside in Glendale, Arizona and then play the Las Vegas Raiders inside in Las Vegas. Any any thought to what’s ahead in in that or is it just sort of a weekby- week thing? Still pretty much week by week. You know, obviously we got to hit the road with three or eight straight weeks and and I think we’re prepared to do that. Um, that was part of what we tried to do in training camp, too. Just get comfortable being on the on the road and playing in in new environments. Um, and then the surfaces sometimes matter a little bit, but there’s really not much that you change. You know, I don’t I prefer not to practice on turf during the week as much as we can. Um, I like being outside. I like being on the grass, but I think we might actually get some weather this week from what I understand. So, we may be inside and that that does help to practice inside occasionally as a as a change up. you know, end of the day they’re there’s still the football field and it’s a 100 yards long and 53 yards wide and then you go play and um but the nice thing is you don’t have to worry about weather. There’s no wind or or or weather factors you got to worry about. You know, you’re going to be inside and um I think one year when I was in Detroit, I think we played I think we played like 14 games indoors or something like that, you know, just because we were an indoor stadium and anyway, sometimes that works out. So you just get used to playing with no weather factor and um it’s kind of a nice one less thing to have to to factor in. Last year when you beat the Texans coach in Houston, Chigga Conquo had a huge 70 yard touchdown catch. Calvin made a bunch of big catches in that game and Tony Pard ran for over a 100red yards. I know that’s something you’d love to see. Yeah, this is still, you know, I know they’re they’re they’re kind of in the same boat we are where they they’ve they’ve struggled some in the win loss column. Um they’re 0 and three, but you they are still very very good on defense. Um I know they’re probably trying to find some more rhythm offensively, but you know, people aren’t scoring a lot of points on these guys and and that’s that’s where their their talent is all over the field on defense and all three levels. Uh so we got to we got to be ready to roll and and running the ball is a part of controlling uh the edge. Uh it’s part of understanding and possessing the football. Uh so those are all things that are going to factor into it. And we played well when we went down there last year. we’re going to need to do it again. The defense that you just referenced for the Houston Texans, as you said, they are they’re 0 and3 and they’re looking for more offensive consistency, but it appears the last few years as they won the division two years ago and last year and into this year, they have one of the better defenses in the game. Why is that? Um, they have great talent. Uh, their edge rushers are are two of the best in football. Um, I think that Stingley’s as good a cover corner that’s out there in the league. I think their safeties play really good football. I think Petri is a really good player. Um, Aziz is a is is a really good linebacker. They’re just they got players sort of at every level that that can operate. And they’ve invested a lot of of of draft capital and money into that defense, too. And it and it shows that’s a really really talented and and well coached. I think uh De Mo, you know, that system that they run is very well executed by the guys that they have and they they do a really nice job. So, we got our hands full. We we’ve always had our hands full with that group and and they’re a good, you know, another divisional team that we got to go try to get a win. Home is at the forefront of all we do. It’s why we’re so committed to caring for the places and spaces in which we work and live. Ashley, the official furniture provider of the Tennessee Titans. 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I’m sure you caught the end of or saw a highlight of the Eagles and Rams and how that game finished with the Eagles blocking a Rams kick and taking it in for a touchdown. Saw it in the uh in the Chiefs Giants game on an extra point. The Titans had a blocked extra point against the Rams. Just how critical is special teams and and making a big play in it that can change the game? I mean, they’re they’re a third of the football game. You know, there’s there’s three phases and there’s a reason for that. And there’s a lot of plays on special teams that are there to be made. And if you can change the game on special teams, it certainly alleviates the pressure on offense and defense. Um, if you can flip the field and keep the hidden yardage uh in your favor and you can make people start and drive the long ways and you can make up yards in the return game, um, it’s a huge advantage. And we have a huge advantage and we got a really strong leg kicker. So, we’ve been able to hit some field goals for some long distances. It was part of, you know, the reason why you try to kick from where you kick and because he can hit them and he’s shown that he can he’s accurate from that spot, too. And those are those are weapons. I think Johnny Hecker’s punting as good as anybody in football right now. Yeah. With his hang time and distance and direction. That’s all been really critical to putting ourselves in the field position game uh in great spots and they they’ve really performed well. Yeah. Jim DK obviously in the return game as well has been a huge weapon for you and had a couple of good returns again this past week. Now, I realize that you’re only focusing on football right now. It is taking all of your life, but yes, it is. Let’s say 20, 30 years from now, you have some free time. Is there a uh is there a bucket list item? Because the writer Cup is this week, and I know you love golf. I do. Um that would be up there. Yeah. Uh yeah, I mean, definitely that would be that would be something that would be pretty cool to go take part in. That’s a really phenomenal competition and some of the best golfers in the world competing is is it’s awesome. I think it’s a great sport. Um, are you a basketball or baseball guy? Yeah, I’ve never been to I’ve never been to a World Series. I think that would be really enjoyable. Um, you know, October baseball is it’s kind of what makes baseball fun is is those pennant races. And um, I’ve never got a chance to do that much obviously is go see that. That would be really cool. And I think there’s some college stadiums and environments I’ve never been to that would be fun to go take in as a fan. um you know, Baton Rouge at night. You know, just there’s just play into some SEC games. I never been down to uh Knoxville for a game that seems like a hell of an environment. So, yeah, there’s definitely things that, you know, when I’m all said and done coaching and I got some free time, my wife and I maybe go do something cool like that and go see a Ryder Cup. It’d be great to to have you there for that, coach. Um, the most important thing to beating the Houston Texans on Sunday before I show you a little video of the Americans beating the Europeans at about 4 or 5:00. What is it on Sunday? Um, it’s always going to start with where we still have to put ourselves in good position in the pass protection game against their front. They they do a really good job of of disrupting your timing as an offense and putting you in long yard situ situations. So, our our our ability to to manage that is going to be critical. And then on on defense is it’s a team that that ultimately wants to run the football. Um they haven’t had the success that they’ve maybe had the last couple years, but you got to keep it that way. You don’t want to be the team that they start getting the hot on. And so we got to do again a great job, but the both lines of scrimmage are going to be critical. Let’s have a great week, coach. Thank you so much for Brian Callahan. I’m Taylor Zarszer. This has been the OTP. [Music]

Tennessee Titans Head Coach Brian Callahan sits down with Taylor Zarzour to take a look back at Sunday’s game against the Colts and prepare for a road divisional matchup in Houston.

00:00-04:41 – Recap Week 3
05:45-13:43 – On the Road to Houston
14:42-18:10 – Wrap Up

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